I'm back! Enjoy my crappy writing :D
If anyone ever asked Darcy to describe Asgard to them in a single word, she would have probably replied "No."
It mostly had to do with the fact that the land was so much more beautiful than earth, with its Rainbow Bridge (semi repaired) and towering castles. When Thor had described his home to his friends, he had never mentioned the extreme waterfalls built into the city, along with the rivetingly blue sky and gorgeous foliage naturally dispersed about. It was too breathtaking for her mere "Midgardian" tongue- no adjectives could do justice to the magical kingdom above.
There were some draw backs to Asgard however; for example, the place was definitely not handicap friendly. Darcy was fine with Jane or Thor pushing her around on Earth mainly because it was normal for a paraplegic to occasionally need help there. On Asgard though, everyone was perfect. They were almost all good looking to point of ridiculousness, and they all could walk. The instant Darcy had landed onto the bifrost her balance felt off; she needed a minute to gather her bearings and steady her hands on her wheels before looking up.
What could only be called a crowd of supermodels welcomed the group- Jane and Thor holding hands and looking every inch the royal couple they were destined to become. Darcy was to a side, hair tangled from the trip and makeup already smudged somehow; she stood out like a sore thumb- well more like sat out. As they approached a waiting carriage, Thor, Jane, and Darcy all simultaneously realized that there was no way Darcy could get herself into the vehicle- resulting in Thor gently seating her next to Jane, who held her steady with her wheelchair in the back. She wanted to sob. It was awful, awkwardly dampening the utter joy of Thor's homecoming with his soon to be bride and Queen. She kept a false smile on her face though, not wanting the perfect beings around her to think her any weaker than they already did.
That night…
Darcy was settled in a golden room- literally, every surface glimmered ostentatiously with the substance, and she almost missed her simple apartment back on earth. Meeting Thor's parents had been less terrifying than expected, mostly because they seemed intent on grilling Jane on her intentions with their beloved baby. Thor generally spent the evening beaming at all his loved ones about him, kissing Jane and his mother sporadically while anxiously checking his father's face for approval. Odin was scary as fuck- he made Fury look like Whoopi Goldberg's younger brother. His eyepatch was also solid gold, which basically confirmed Darcy's by then solid hypothesis that even condoms were made of gold on Asgard. She was able to relax and people-watch, something she enjoyed greatly on a normal day. Sipping amazing ale, Darcy observed food refill itself and clear away like magic. Somehow, despite her clumsiness, spilled soup didn't actually spill. Her drink remained perfectly chilled- Asgard was a pretty damn amazing place for a fancy dinner. It wasn't until she returned to her room (after kissing Jane good night and watching her bashfully follow Thor to his room) that she realized that she hadn't been freaking out at dinner because Loki had not been there. She imagined it was because he was kind of a family black sheep, or maybe because he was an outcast war criminal. Either way, the idea that he lurked about the palace terrified her- of course, she doubted that he even remembered seeing her that day in New York. Somehow his ignorance made it worse, and even as she gingerly moved her legs into a comfortable position on her bed, Darcy felt tears welling in her eyes. Something was about to happen- something bigger than being paralyzed or losing her job…
The next day was a blur- one day before the "royal wedding" and dress fittings were the only things Jane and Darcy had to actively take part in before the ceremony. Jane's gown was unlike anything Darcy had ever seen- it was gold and silver and white all at once- and actual diamond beads embroidered the bodice and hem of the dress. Darcy wasn't one to cry over fashion but when Jane stepped into the room cautiously, she burst into happy tears. "YES! SAY YES TO THIS DRESS! OH GOSH YES! JANE YOU LOOK FUCKING AMAZING!" Immediately Darcy glanced about for Frigga, and exhaled in relief when she saw it was simply Jane and she, plus the royal dressmaker. Jane ignored Darcy's profanity and gazed at herself in a mirror- disbelievingly, she murmured "Do you think Thor will like it?" Her unspoken fears and doubts were uttered in that sentence, and Darcy wheeled herself close to her best friend to take her hand and reply, "Janey, this is the way Thor sees you every minute of every day, even on the days when you have poptart in your hair, but you know what I mean! He loves you so fiercely, don't let your insecurity take away from that. Concentrate on loving him back twice as much." They hugged, the moment passed, and then Frigga did stride in to see her daughter in law. It did Darcy good to see the queen double-take at the sight of Jane- she was literally glowing in the splendid dress, but it amounted more to the fact that she was going to marry the love of her life, and that she got to spend eternity with him.
Darcy could feel herself growing more emotional and jealous as the day continued, though. She was perpetually in the way, from the fitting of her dress to the "decorating" of her wheelchair. Asgardians had little regard for the handicapped, she found. When they helped her try on her emerald green gown, they roughly held her legs together, treating her like an overly heavy piece of furniture that they had to reupholster. Jane was distracted by selecting her jewels for the wedding, otherwise she would have noticed Darcy spitting mad and ready to cut some Asgardian dressmaker bitches. She got over it when she checked herself out in the mirror though- the gown was stunning. It made her rack look amazing but not slutty (a rare occurrence for Darcy Lewis) and her pale skin didn't look deathly white for once in contrast to the warm hue of the dress.
The rest of her day was preparations- a practice ceremony was specially planned for Darcy and Jane's benefits, so that they wouldn't seem clueless at the actual event. Darcy was given a simple dress of grey which draped elegantly over her knees when she was in her chair. She ignored the Grecian looking sandals and wore her own shoes- amazing Christian Louboutin heels in silver satin, a gift from Pepper Potts one Christmas ago. She then followed an attendant to a large atrium surrounded by elaborate gardens with flora Darcy had never before seen. Several rows of delicate gold benches curved around an altar of some rare metal. She was so enthralled by her surroundings that Jane had to poke her for her to pay attention.
It began with Odin speaking something in a language Darcy couldn't understand- the Allfather's Blessing was its name, she later found out, and it was his way of ensuring the success of the union of his oldest son with the woman of science from earth. Then, Frigga placed a circlet on Jane's head, wordlessly accepting her as her new daughter- although she used a plain bronze one for the practice. After that, Darcy watched awestruck as Jane and Thor exchanged what must have been half an hour of vows, promising eternal love and fealty, and other gushy feelings that left Darcy feeling remarkably alone. After some official fake finalized the vows with some kind of spell, Jane and Thor were married. They kissed (rather chastely in Darcy's opinion) and that was that. The practice was over and they could finally eat dinner, which was something she was highly looking forward to. Of course being Darcy's life, she didn't get to dine immediately. Instead she was informed that she was to give the first toast, as a representative for Jane. The job was apparently quite important, as it was the first intergalactic space wedding in Asgard, ever, and she had to show the people that Thor wasn't dooming their race to a lifetime of morbid obesity or reality television.
The meal awkwardly dragged on, no one wishing to go to bed the night before the wedding of the century. Darcy was wheeling herself to a fountain of some magical champagne substance but was interrupted by sniggering entirely too reminiscent of junior high- girls were being bitchy, and her highly honed senses told her that it was regarding her. She quietly wheeled closer, and lo and behold there stood two goddesses behind a flowering tree of pinks and whites. The first perfect skank haughtily chuckled and replied to whatever the second skank had asked. "She's some kind of servant to that Jane- no one important, of course, but Midgardians have always been foolishly sentimental about the help. I personally would never drag a cripple around the royal palace like a bitch to its owner." Skank number two burst out laughing and replied, "Her dress! Did you see it? I don't think she even knows that it's too short- it's practically spitting in the face of the Queen for her to wear that- the garb of whores and prostitutes- and with those bizarre shoes? She's just so wrong."
The tears threatened to fall but Darcy held them in- just like high school, she proudly wheeled before them and turned to face them, glad that she was dressed nicely, even if she looked like an Asgardian ho. They both quirked their eyebrows, unalarmed at clearly having been caught mocking a guest behind her back, and skank one facetiously inquired, "Yes?" The drawn out word was enough for Darcy to see red and it was with great self-control that she looked them both in the eye, steeling herself. "Hello. I'm Darcy, since you seem so interested in who or what I am. As you can tell I'm paralyzed, something which may seem like an abomination to your kind. In reality I'm just another social oddity, and to boot someone sent me a hooker dress under the pretense of doing me a favor- highly typical behavior for a couple of air headed bimbos with more tits than brains." Skank number two looked disgruntled but jabbed back- "Are you one to talk about tits? They're so big they're almost offensive- can't you see that you were made for whoring? But for those legs… you can't even wrap them around a paying customer. Pity, no?" That one stung but Darcy was fully prepared to wage battle. "It is, isn't it? But at least I can die alone and customer-less knowing that my very good friend Thor of Asgard is marrying my best friend, and not a couple of tweak bitches like yourselves. Also, get your beady eyes off my breasts- the girls are gorgeous, I am aware, but I'm definitely not into getting ogled by jealous freaks like you two." Though the retort was far from Darcy's finest, quiet applause broke the awkward silence which had settled throughout the ball room. At first she was disconcerted, the two goddesses walking away quickly, muttering profanities under their breath. Then she wheeled around to see- no one. The crowds had dispersed to the dining hall for more food, and though relieved that no one had witnessed the debacle which had just taken place, Darcy knew that someone had observed, silently, and then appreciated the scene with applause.
That night, Darcy couldn't sleep, which was good considering her diplomatic/best friend role of toast giver. Typical of her procrastinating inner teenager, Darcy had asked if she could prep a toast that night and give it the next day. That night in her bedchamber she sat in bed, pen and parchment (not paper) furiously mating in the creation of the best fucking toast ever.
THE WEDDING:
Jane was surprisingly not a mess. She was quiet, thoughtfully gazing at her reflection in the mirror as a total of six women worked at her hair and face. There were none of the groom's family present; Darcy had requested privacy for Jane's sanity's sake. The shimmering morning light made the dust motes dance in mid-air and Darcy felt as if she was witnessing something almost holy. Her presence was required though- her duty that day was to accompany Jane throughout the ceremonies and afterwards, keeping her stress-free and radiant. The second part was simple, but tensions were running quite high on the wedding day. Everyone was suspicious of the earth woman who had claimed their golden boy's heart, and Darcy's little confrontation last night had spread around the palace grapevine like wildfire. She didn't care much about what they had said to her last night; the only part which continued to nag her was the quip about her inability to please a man sexually. Her usual approach to thinking about her love life was to turn on the TV or her iPod and to ignore it. She shook off her rambling thoughts and focused on the task ahead of her. Darcy felt a tremor run through her at the thought that today, finally, at the ceremony of a lifetime, she would get to meet Loki- the man, no, god who had ended her life as she knew it on a whimsy.
CEREMONY:
The walk/roll to the atrium was silent- Jane too excited to speak and Darcy too apprehensive to open her mouth and fill the void. Music filled the air before they reached their position of entry, and the attendants left Jane and Darcy alone before the wedding began. Without a word Jane kissed Darcy's head and thanked her. "I know you're scared but Loki is apparently bound by Odin's power so that he is incapable of performing any magic. You'll be safe, and everyone will be there anyways." A single trumpet note sounded through the air and the time had arrived- Darcy patted her hair and handed Jane her bouquet of Asgardian flowers, and a young priestess came out of nowhere to hold Jane's 8 foot long train. The next stanza of the Asgardian wedding march began, and the short procession was set into motion.
Darcy was first, also carrying a smaller version of Jane's bouquet and smiling, emerald gown glinting as she entered the sunlight. The crowd did not jeer at Darcy that day; her grace and exotic looks coupled with her wheelchair kept the critics quiet. Besides, they weren't really paying attention to her- Jane was about to enter. Two young girls scattered blessed flower petals of some sort and everyone rose as the music rose to the crescendo. Darcy reached the front and quickly turned her chair into position, next to two of the groomsmen. She had no time to absorb her surroundings, transfixed like everyone else by the vision which was her Poptart loving, astrophysicist best friend- Jane Foster soon to be wife of Thor Odinson. She looked every inch the goddess, gold hair intricately entwined with strands of pearls and encircled by a simple band of gold. Her gown was the stuff of dreams, flowing around her feet like water as she stepped onto the altar, settling her train behind her. Thor took her by the hand and they faced the Allfather who shone in- what else- pure gold armor. Darcy took a moment to glance about her, awed by the abundance of sexually attractive groomsmen about her, not to mention the big man himself. Thor's blonde locks were tamed back to an extent- the errant lock was forever on his forehead, and his face was stretched in the goofiest, stupidest grin Darcy had ever seen- his eyes were soft though, crinkled at the ends as he gazed at Jane, who looked pretty damn ridiculous herself. The vows began, and when Thor swore to protect Jane till the moment his heart stopped beating Darcy couldn't breathe. Jane outdid Thor by swearing that she would, no matter what the cost, always be by his side, even if it meant breaking the space time continuum to reach him. Then Odin did his magic spell thing- Darcy tuned out a little at that point- but she reentered the moment when Frigga replaced the plain circlet with the white gold circlet, signifying Jane's acceptance into the Asgardian royal family. Finally, with a passionate kiss rivaling Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries at their media-wedding, Jane and Thor were wedded for all of eternity- literally.
That was Darcy's cue to take Jane's bouquet so she could be led by Thor to a hall of celebration which seemed to appear out of nowhere. The festivities began in full swing; Darcy seated two away from Jane, separated only by the Queen herself and Lady Sif. Neither Jane nor Darcy could eat- Jane was distracted by her handsome new husband ad Darcy was panicking over her toast. Towards the end of the meal, the moment of reckoning came, and one of the Warriors Three- Fandral, she believed, stood to announce that Lady Darcy of Midgard was to toast the new bride and Princess of Asgard, Jane Foster. Darcy smiled a bit nervously as she wheeled herself before the couple and the King and Queen. She thought to pull out the emergency notes she had hidden in her chair but chose to plunge in, saying what was in her heart.
"Ladies, and gentlemen. Gods, and goddesses- today is a day of gains and losses. Today, Asgard gains another shining diamond to adorn its crown- today; Jane Foster has married Prince Thor of Asgard. Despite their differences, Prince Thor and Jane are perfect for one another- Thor is the sun, lighting up the day with his fire and warmth, while Jane is the moon, illuminating the night because of the sun. They become one another, and it is a proud day for Asgard because my best friend and sister is a part of a unit. Sadly, Midgard or Earth, has lost one of its greatest minds. I have lost my closest companion, and there is no one in any realm who could replace her. I am reassured though by the thought that Thor, the biggest, strongest Asgardian I know, is going to be taking good care of her. Let's raise a glass for the most sickeningly perfect couple I know! To Thor and Jane!"
Gentle clapping was not what Darcy expected- her thoughtful and genuine toast was wasted on the drunken crowd before her. She was about to despair when a smooth voice interjected. "Lady Darcy, it would seem that you have been misinformed as to the nature of Asgardian toasts- we do not reminisce weepily like maidens, as you may on Midgard. Although, does it truly surprise anyone that the Migdardian didn't get it?" She turned to see a tall man with short black hair and in subdued armor- and a shudder of horror ran through her. Despite his easy tone and playful smile, the sunken blue eyes and greasy long hair haunted Darcy's vision- Loki. The room stood still; everyone waited for a reply, and clearly no one knew how Darcy had been crippled. Jane and Thor looked stricken as Darcy wheeled away from Loki, who stepped before her with a quizzical expression on his face. "Lady Darcy? I beg pardon- Lady? Can you speak?" There was no malice in his voice, only polite concern. He really didn't remember her… at all. She was gripping the armrests of her chair so tightly her hands were bloodless, and unbeknownst to Darcy tears were streaming down her face. "Lady Darcy, are you unwell?!" Loki attempted to come closer but Darcy fled, wheeling out of the hall and out of the palace, not stopping until she reached a garden secluded enough for her to collapse into shuddering, chest achingly deep sobs.
No one came to get her- Darcy knew Jane absolutely could not leave the party, but she had assumed someone would come after her. Still, it wasn't as if she hadn't been ignored before. The shock of seeing Loki the murder, Loki the god as a brother at a wedding giving a mocking toast reverberated through Darcy, leaving her breathless and dizzy. Gently she wheeled herself near a pond, staring at her reflection in sadness and fear. She wished she could dip her feet into the water, which seemed cool and beckoningly inviting. Disregarding her logic, Darcy carefully shifted herself from her wheelchair to the ground, dragging her legs so they were submerged knee deep in the shallow pond. The shimmering blue of the water coupled with the white lotuses floating in it was a very picture of heaven, and Darcy could feel none of it. With a shriek of frustration she cried out, lapsing once more into tears.
"Lady Darcy?" That voice was back, and it frightened Darcy to the point that she lost her balance and fell into the pond, face first. She attempted to lift herself out with her upper arms but she had lost her strength suddenly, and Darcy was ready to embrace the end (death by 3 foot pond, of course) when strong arms lifted her easily from her imminent doom. Sputtering and blinded by water, Darcy wildly swung at her savior who she knew was Loki. "LET- (COUGH)- ME- GO!" she was able to fight her way out of his arms and fell on the grass, heaving furiously and rapidly. "Lady, I know not why you fear me so. I will call a healer, who can help you." Darcy's terror began to fade, and was replaced by a red hot hatred which had coursed through her veins since the first day she had woken up without the use of legs. "You know not why I fucking fear you? YOU, Loki of Asgard? You the god of Mischief and Mayhem and paralysis and destruction?" His bafflement caused Darcy to grab his leg and shake him as best as she could. "REMEMBER? DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU DEVASTATED MY PLANET? You attacked, you destroyed! You dropped me off a building thousands of feet from the air and left me shattered! You, Loki, YOU! REMEMBER?" Horror was written all over Loki's face as he strode away from Darcy abruptly, clearly unwilling to listen to her. She lay down in the soft grass and willed death to take her, but two attendants Loki must have sent retrieved her and sent her to bed. Her status as invalid was permanent it seemed. Still she couldn't sleep- that gorgeously normal smile couldn't mesh with the demonic grin from New York. Loki was back in her life to steal her night's sleep…
SORRY FOR THE WAIT BUT THIS WAS A BITCH TO WRITE.